Sowerby Bridge to Wakefield - (20 miles and 29 locks):
We left Sowerby Bridge in bright sunny weather and made our way back to Salterhebble Basin, with its picturesque lock keeper's stone cottage, and then cruised down to Elland where I learnt another "interesting" fact...... "Don't let the mooring rope hang over the stern because there is always a hungry propeller lurking around looking for a good meal.". After taking two hours to untangle the mess we moored for the night by the Bull and Barrel, had a nice dinner in town at an Italian restaurant (can't remember its name) and then a relaxing evening at the pub.
We spent a couple of days at Brighouse picking up some odds and ends for the boat, including a new rope, and then headed down the C & H with our new guests, Peter and Judith from Holmfirth. On leaving Brighouse we had our first experience with the River Calder, it wasn't in flood but was running fast and made for an exciting trip as we cruised passed Kirklee's Park and the grave of Robin Hood. It may have been the unrelenting grip I had on the tiller or the warnings signs about the dangerous WEIR, but regrettably we did not explore the 4 mile long Huddersfield Broad Canal - next time we will.
After a while we relaxed and enjoyed the pleasant scenery as we alternated between the navigation cuts and the river. There are a few stone cottages along this stretch and just before Thornhill Flood Lock the river branches towards Dewsbury Mills where, in the 1800's, they made blankets for the American Indians. We moored for the night in open country just below the neat and tidy Thornhill Double Locks.
In the morning we went up the ¾ mile Dewsbury Arm. and, contrary to the guidebook comments, found it dirty and very congested, especially for a new skipper trying to look like an old boatman. I did make use of our Bowthruster as I slowly reversed out of Savile Town Basin back into the Arm. We stopped off at the Ship by Horbury Bridge for a good 3 course lunch that cost £2.50 then cruised into the City of Wakefield with its 18th century Telford designed warehouses and red bricked railway viaduct inappropriately named "Ninety-Nine Arches"- we only counted ninety-five.
We had read and reread the warnings signs not to miss the sharp right turn into the Wakefield Flood Lock but we were low on water and our guidebook showed a boatyard a short distance down the river towards the weir. We couldn't find the boatyard and, after some excited instructions from my crew members as the weir came into sight, I headed back for the safety of the flood lock.
We had been warned by a couple moored along Wakefield Cut with their 20 cats, that we were in for a new experience with the turbulent Fall Ing Lock, but passed through without incident. It was here that we said farewell to our guests as we entered the Aire & Calder Navigation in liquid sunshine.